04 September 2012

DNC Unveils Platform; Mentions Africa, Development, UN and more

We will continue to partner with African nations to combat al-Qaeda affiliates in places like Somalia and to bring to justice those who commit mass atrocities, like Joseph Kony. We have made great efforts to reduce the violence in Darfur and built international support for a successful referendum on South Sudan’s future. And in his first visit as President to the United Nations, President Obama advanced initiatives to strengthen UN peacekeeping capabilities in Africa. This includes providing equipment, training, and logistical support for UN and African Union missions in Darfur and Somalia. The President has also worked to help African nations grow their economies, and we have opened trade and investment opportunities across the continent.

The surprise appearance seems to be Kony which indicates a level of success for Invisible Children's Kony 2012 video. Not much is discussed in a matter of how anything in the platform will be supported and what changes may take place.

The UN gets a mention, but fails to mention Syria when calling out Russia and China. Latin America is equally as uninformative as the Africa section.

International institutions – most prominently the United Nations – have been a centerpiece of international order since the mid-20th century. And just as American leadership was essential to forging the architecture for international cooperation after World War II, the President and the Democratic Party are committed to modernizing its infrastructure for the 21st century – working to reform international bodies and strengthen national and multilateral capabilities to advance peace, security, and opportunity.

We have restored America’s leadership at the UN by cooperating with our partners there when we can and respectfully disagreeing with them when we must, reversing the previous administration’s disdain for the UN. The President’s leadership at the UN has enabled us to make real progress on a number of top national security priorities, including getting Russia and China on board to implement the toughest UN sanctions ever on Iran and North Korea.

However, development gets some reasonable play in the context of America benefiting from global economic growth.

And, because a growing and open global economy serves as a source of opportunity for the American people and a source of strength for the United States, the President and the Democratic Party have coordinated our economic actions with other countries to address financial crises and head off renewed cycles of boom and bust. We have reformed international institutions to give emerging economies a greater role and more responsibility.

We have promoted trade that is free and fair. And we have supported global economic development. Abroad, just as we have at home, we have sought to build a new model for 21st century economic growth that is fair and in which every nation plays by the rules – a model where workers’ rights are respected, businesses compete on a level playing field, and intellectual property and new technologies are protected. Currencies must be market-driven so no nation has an unfair advantage. Reforms must protect consumers from abuse and reflect a global commitment to end corruption. And we will continue to champion sustainable growth that includes the clean energy that creates green jobs and combats climate change.

Again, not much in terms of substance other than saying that trade and democracy are good. It would be unfair to be too critical for the lack of policy points in the documents as it is not meant to serve as a policy piece. Rather, it is to stand as the platform and indicate the intended direction of the party.

On the issue of foreign aid and development, the message appears that the DNC wants to keep the present course set out by the Obama administration.